1936-03-20 — Page 10

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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1936.

OVER FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS

(Continued from Page 7)

salary cuts are.

estimated to re- duce the total salary bill by $1.- the Cer-

are

· 143,475 leaving a deficit year's working of $3,446,328. tuin reductions in Public Works expenditure have been "effected, which, however,

largely se:: off by the extra cost towing to the low dollary of the new Queen Mary Hospital; but it is anticipat- .ed that $164.000 wil be saved: De- ducting this sun the net deflat is therefore $3,282,228 for the year.

It is obvious that such a position calls for sacrifice on the part of Government officers and the only question the Government had o consider was the amount of that Lacrifice.

The Colonial Secretary seconded the reading which was passed without dissention.

|

seems

Of

siderably reduced but with the the Colony to bear? Is it exag- dollar rate taken at 1/8d, which, geration of language to say that,

prudent figure, there unless this crushing burden will still be a deficit, after aflow-salaries is substantially reduced, ing for the surplus balances as all hopes of electing substantial $830,000. Improvements in the Colony must mentioned, of about The exact figures are Revenue indefinitely be relegated to the $26.671,845 plus Surplus Ralances realm of fanciful dreams?

In excess of ten million dollars)! $2,095,789 total $28,767,834; Ex- penditure $29,598,148,"

£

MUST GO ACCORDINGLY -Pausing here I should like to state that, in my humble opinion. the normal revenue of just over twenty six and half million dollars must be regarded as repres senting the cloth according to whitch Government must cut its coat, for I do most respectfully agree with the views recently ex- pressed as to the inability of the Colony to stand the strain of ex- tra taxation, and particularly by Dr. R. H. Kotewall, who spoke in Other first readings of bills tu the Inst Budget Debate' as the Amend various ordinances, all Sentor Unofficial Chinese Member which were seconded by theo this Council, that the Colors Colonial Secretary, and passed; in- gis already taxed to capacity. 1 cluded:

ne beyond it, and any new tax- burdens may be the last straw,"

I therefore take the figure of $26,871,845 as representing the normal revenue for 1936, and the Ogure of just over twenty nine and a half million dollars as es-

"A BU to amend the Summary

Offences Ordinance. 1931." "A Bill to amend the Stone

cutters Island Ordinance, 1889." "A Bill to amend further the Companies Ordinance. 1932."

"A Bill to regulate the Deporta-timated expenditure for 1936.

tion är Undesirable British subjects.

BILLS PASSED

On the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial' Secretary, a bill to amand and .consolidate the law relating 10 Telecommunication, was read the second time. The following bills were read the third time and pass

d on the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial

Secretary:

The total expenditure includes the items for Military Contribution J amounting to $4,366,901,00, and 101 Interest on Public Debt. mounting to $1,390,231.00, making a total of $5,757,732.00. Subtract- Ing this sum from the total ex-: penditure there will remain the sum of $23,840,418.00 available "for i all other purposes, and it will be! rather illuminating to see how much of this available surplus- which, in order to avoid undue re- petition. I have called the "avall- able expenditure"-has been sorbed by salaries. I may inciden- tally mention that of this avail-

ab-

"A Bul to amend the law relatable expenditure no less than ing to the capacity, third | $3,207,560.00 has been earmarked time and passed, property and for Public Works Extraordinary..

abilities of married women and the Hablilties of hus- bands."

"A Bill to amend the law relat

ing to proceedings against, and contribution between. rortfea- sors."

"A B tc amend the law relat- ing to alcoholic liquors." Thrd time and passed.

է

HON, MR. LO'S RESOLUTION

The Hon. Mr. Lo Man Kam then rose to move the following mo- tion:-

"That in the opinion of this Counell the Colony cannot afford

te: maintain so large and costly a Civil Service as now exists, and that the Government should take immediate steps to effect all pos- alble retrenchments in the same." In moving his resolution the Hon. Mr. M. K. Lo said:-

Your Excellency. In rising to move the Motion which stands in my name, I crave that indulgence to a new member attempting, his maiden speech, and this indul- gence is all the more necessary be- cause I fear I will have to take up some twenty minutes of this Coun- cil's valuable time in saying what I desire to say in support of this Motion,

The view asserted by the terms ol my Motion is that the Colony cannot afford to maintain the existing Civil Service, and I will at once proceed to set out shortly the grounds on which this view is based

venues

THE SALARIES' FIGURES

I have added the totals of all personal emoluments set out in the Estimates for 1936, and I find that the total comes to the sum of $11.457.821.00. In order to get a amount correct, pleture of the spent on salaries in the Civil Ser- vice in relation to income one has to add at least three important items to the above sum which. staggering as it is, is not the "full bill which the Colony has to pay. To begin with it must be remem- bered that the figures given in the 1935 Estimates are based, so far as Sterling salaries are concerned, on a 1/8d dollar. The Acting Colonial Secretary stated, in his speech,

above referred to, that in terms of Sterling the amount budgeted for as representing Salaries, Purchases from Crown Agents, Fensions, etc. comes to just over £750,000, and all the sulary figures must be very substantially increased when, the Sterling commitment is calcul ted at the prevailing rate of Ex- change, namely, round about a dollar. Moreover, the 1/33d. salary figure of nearly eleven and

a half million does not include Rent Allowances or Pensions, Transport. It must of course be that Rent Allowances conceded and Transport must be included. And I submit that this applies equally to Pensions, for it is now generally accepted that a pension in truth not a reward or gift, but rather a deferred wage, or 'n compensation paid to the employee for the gradual destruction of bis wage-earning capacity In the course of his work. The figures for the three items mentioned above are as follows:--

Pensions

$1,810,000.00

.... $ 128,000.00

Misc. Services Rent Allowances:- Senior Officers European Subor- dinate Officers Asiatic Officers Transport

LI

$10,000.00 120,000.00 475,000.00

2,843,000,00

It might have seen thought at one time that one of the alleged differences between public and private finance is that, whilst in private finance outlay must be gauged and conditioned by income, in public finance the reverse is the case. in that after the expendi- tures are fixed it is the duty of the Legislature to provide the re- But this alleged differ- ence is generally regarded as illu- sory and unsound because the Blata, like the individual, must in the long run cut its coat accord-: Therefore, if you, add the total ing to its cloth, and persistent of $2,643,000.00 to the total of violation of this principle must $11,457,821.00 you get the stupend eventually entail the same consecus sum of $14,100,821 as the full quences, alike for State and in- | bill for salaries. Another way of dividual. I unhesitatingly accept stating this position If that out of the validity of this principle.' approximately twenty three and a What, then, is the present fin- half million "available expendi- ancial position of the Colony? ture" (of which nearly three and The Hon. Mr N. L. Smith, as a half million is "earmarked for Acting Colonial Secretary, in the Public Works Extraordinary), the course of his extremely able and

sum of over fourteen million is fueld Budget speech on the Sep spent on salaries; in other words, tember 12, 1935, after stating that. 6048 spent on salaries, leaving it was anticipated that thees the sum of just over nine and a timated revenue for 1936 would be half million to cover the whole about, a million and a half-behind cost of Civil Administration in the 1935 revised figures, 1summed chiding Social Services and the

I

i

INTENTION TO RETRENCH

I and aware that Government has, year after year, expressed its intention to retrench. For ins- tance, during the Budget Debate in 1931 His Excellency Sir Willam Peel said:-

"When I came here, I was im-

FOR SALARIES MRS. DWIGHT W. LOCAL SOCCER

-Bat

THE OTHER POSTS

Hong Kong annually produces scores of nurses qualified accord-

I understand that the present Ing to the presumably high and

holder of the position of Secretary existing standard set by Govern- to the Hon, the Director of Public rent. In any case I venture to

Works draws over £1,000 a year. enquire what is the practical out- I gladly concede this gentleman's come of the deliberations between exceptional ability and that he His Excellency and the Hon, the is worth this pay. But the point.

the DM6.8.? According to

ls: Is it really necessary to employ timates for 1938 there.. are fifty such a high salaried man for this General post? I may remark that this Nursing sisters on the

Sterling pay salary is higher than that now Nursing Staff on which, at Exchange 1/8d, amounts paid to many experienced pro- $162,031.00. With a lower tate fessional men in the Service, such ist Exchange, and with the stipu, as doctors and solicitors lated annual increments, this amount must of course substan- tantially increase year by year.

pressed by the large number of European staff, particularly in subordinate grades. Steps the are being taken to replace some of these gradually by local offi-perience I know that the skill, cers, though it is a step which must be taken with caution. Government is ready to give local recruits every chance, and It will be for them to prove that such confidence is not mis- placed. "This policy 'can only be followed if local recruits prove that they possess the necessary integrity and efficiency. If ther fall to do this, they and the Colony cannot complain if we have to revert

the system which has obtained hitherto, The matter lies In their hands.” (Hansard, page 191).

From Information given to me by those who have had actual ex-

to

In the Budget Debate in 1954 Fils Excellency Sir William Peel said:-

"We

carrying are, however, out a scheme of a local branch of the Senior Clerical and Ac..

and counting Staff

are en- deavouring to train local sanit- ary inspectors....Further, I hope that it may be possible to train local nursing"sisters and so re- duce the large number of sisters recruited from England. I pro- pose to go into this question with my Honourable friend, the Director of Medical and Sanit- ary Services." (Hansard," page 187).

In the Budget Debate in 1935 the Hon. the Acting Colonial Secretary said:—

"The Government has fully and frankly accepted that poller of replacing wherever possible European by Asiatic employees. but it must be evident that such a policy can show its full effect only gradually." (Hansard, page 201

A DISAPPOINTINGLY SMALL RESULT

And, yet, what is the actual re- sult? I must confess that if any result has been achieved it is so disappointingly smail that I am quite unable to discern It! In his

answers to my questions on the

January 15, 1936, the Hon. the

Colonial Secretary stated that the number of Entropean Civil Ser- vants employed rose from: 647 in 1923, to 975 in 1935; that as re- bards the European Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff the same rose from 24 in 1923, to 63 in 1935: and That 52 additional, Europeans have been employed since the date of the Retrenchment Commission Report in 1931.

May I respectfully ask what ac- tual steps have been taken by Government to give effect to that policy, so "fully and frankly ac-. cepted by Government," of replac- ing wherever possible European by Asiatic employees? In this con- nection I would like to bring for- ward a case which happened to come to my knowledge; "a few ! weeks ago. A certain Chinese from Canton recently saw me in connection with his application for the post of Assistant Govern

ent Analyst which was then vacant. His qualifications and re- ferences were unexceptionable. He duly sent in his application, but later he understood that a Sterling man from England had just em- barked to All up this post. What steps did Government take to find 'sultable man locally to fill up this post before resorting to en- gaging a new man in England? · I do respectfully press, for an answer to this question, not in the in- terests of this particular opplicant ----indeed he was quite unknown to me out because it would show the anture of the effort, which“ Government is stated to be "mak- ing in carrying out the polley of reducing the number of Sterling paid men in: the financial interests of the Colony keerata -ཙ ༣ ༑ ༠༧༠

* NURSING SYSTEM With reference to the statement of His Excellency Sir William Peel, already quoted above, on the ques- tion of Nursing Sisters, I confess I cannot understand why His Excel- lency should have regarded his own proposal, that local nursing sisters might be trained so as to

up the position as follows thousand and one items of essen- reduce the large number of sia- "As a result of all these econte-tial public expenditure, Need: 1ters recruited from England," as mies the gap between Revenue say more to show that the exista matter of mere "hope" and "pos- and Expenditure has been con- ing Civil Service is too costly for sibility," in view of the fact that

care, solicitude, and devotion bes- towed by these nursing sisters on their patients are beyond praise and cannot be measured in terms of any currency. Good nursing is Indeed priceless. I gladly and gratefully record my sincere hum- ble tribute to them. But I submit that the financial condition of the Colony renders the carrying out of Sir William Peel's project a matter not only of expediency but i o urgency.

Is it a fact that a Sterling man Is employed as Elbrarian of the Library at the C.S.O., and if so is this necessary?

MORROW

Lindbergh Kidnap-

ping Case Recalled

of

Curtailed Programme

Owing to combined operations between the Navy, Army. Volunteer, Defence Corps on

and

1st- 22nd inst., all matches scheduled to be played on these dates have

1ST DIVISION March 21, 1936 South China "B" v. Chinese 2. A. (Caroline Hill), 4.30 p.m.

Bruno Hauptmann, probably the been cancelled, with the exception

famous figure in the of:- st World to-day. was brought to mind by the arrival at the Glou cester Hotel yesterday of Mrs. i Dwight W. Morrow, mother Anne Lindbergh, who together with her husband, Col, Chas, L. Lindbergh, the first man to fly the Atlantic solo, were the victims of the most atrocious case of child kidnapping and murder, that ever shocked the world.

Is it really necessary to have 30 many Europeans on Sterling

Mrs. Morrow, who is accompan!- basly on the staff of the C.3.0.7

ed by her younger daughter has -Or, with so many Cadet Off- just arrived from Europe where cers in that Office, to have the rest of the family are living in Chief Clerk at a salary of voluntary retirement following

1,050

threats against

the remaining Lindbergh child.

Can we really afford to have .A special Sterling officer

Official Anesthetist who, I un- derstand, 'will shortly join the Medical Department? Surely it

<

(Continued on Page 11.)

2ND DIVISION

March 21. 1936 Radio Sports Club v University.

(Caroline HFD), 3.00 p.m.

to the most sordid case, this is not- at all surprising.

We are informed that future plans regarding their holiday are at present incomplete and the length of their stay in Hong Kong is indefinite, though it is likely to he more than a week.

When a "Dally Press" repre- Mrs. Morrow and her daughter sentative called at the hotel he was reside in Englewood, New Jersey. informed that no interview would | U.S.A., where, it will be recalled be allowed under any circum the shocking crime took place, and stences. Considering the large are now understood to be return- amount of publicity already given ing to the United States.

Everybody knows the words..

they

Satisfy

They're

're a cheerful little earful

You'll hear where'er you go For smokers say "They Satisfy"

And smokers ought to know

hesterfiel

N

ARETTES

Myras Tonecio Co. (CHINA).

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